A Family Affair
by HarrysPott
Summary: Bella was changed by Jasper 50 years ago when they decided that they wanted to spend the rest of forever together after reconnecting in a college English class. Present day, Jasper receives a call that the Denali clan needs help witnessing against the Volturi. Will Bella and Jasper agree to help even if it means seeing the Cullens, who have no idea about what has occurred?
1. Prologue

I was sitting on the white leather couch in our living room, my diary that I had started just after high school open in front of me when Jasper walked through the front door. He smirked as he noticed me drinking in his appearance. The sun was coming in through the front windows just enough to give him a stunning glow and his blonde hair was a mess, just the way I like it.

"What do you have there, sugar?" Jasper asked as he walked around the couch to sit down next to me.

"It's my old diary. How was your hunt?" I received a mumbled response as he kissed the spot where my shoulder meets my neck. Jasper hunts much more often than I do. He says it's just a habit from living with the Cullens, but I suspect that he still doesn't quite trust himself the way that he deserves to. He hasn't had a single slip with human blood since nearly killing me fifty-something years ago, yet he never allows himself to be around humans without hunting the day before.

I carefully shut the diary and set it down on the coffee table as I reached for Jasper's hand. Together we made our way to our bedroom on the second floor of our home to settle in for the night. The only thing I disliked about being a vampire was that I didn't have the ability to sleep. I got into the habit of laying down anyway and snuggling in with Jas for a few hours each night because it felt more natural that way, and soon we let it become one of our favorite parts of the day. Sometimes we read books or watch movies together, and sometimes we lay quietly and talk, but it's quality time that neither of us would trade for the world.

I laid down on our bed as my husband joined me, wrapping one arm around my waist to pull me closer to him, "What inspired you to read your old diary?" Jasper asked quietly.

"I was just thinking about Charlie and Renee and wanted to read about them," I responded, turning around to focus on his curious, gold eyes. I knew that there was a good chance I would lose some of my memories during my transition to becoming a vampire, so I wrote about the most important things in my life at the time to have a reminder whenever I desired.

Jasper kissed my forehead and reached behind him to grab the book we were currently reading together. He opened it to the bookmarked page and began to read. I looked at the pages in front of me, but quickly zoned out thinking of the past fifty years and how I got to be so lucky even though there were a thousand instances when I shouldn't have made it. That's the other thing my diary is good for, reminding me that life is never easy, and there will always be a new adventure around the corner.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N - Thanks for the reviews letting me know that the original posting of this chapter had some technical difficulties! Hopefully I got them all fixed and you can enjoy the chapter.**

I rolled over and slammed my hand down on the alarm clock next to my bed as it blared what had to be the most annoying sound in the world. It was 6:30 a.m., and it was time to get ready for my first day of classes.

"Isabella! Happy first day of sophomore year!" My way-too-chipper roommate yelled from the kitchen. I had changed my mind. My alarm clock was surely the second most annoying sound in the world next to Macy yelling this early in the morning.

"Macy, I'm going to need a solid twenty minutes before you're allowed to talk to me if you're in this good of a mood on the first Monday of school," I grumbled as I made my way into our shared bathroom. I knew she had already been on a morning run and was surely sipping her coffee and finishing up some reading for classes in the kitchen. I teased her often, but I knew that I wouldn't be nearly as good of a student if I didn't have her to motivate me when I was down. Especially last year when I was still feeling much of the sting from _them_ leaving.

I quickly washed my hair and body and jumped out of the shower to go throw on my classic pair of jeans and a t-shirt combo before daring to make my entrance into the kitchen.

"Alright, you may speak," I smiled at my best friend as I grabbed bread to make some toast for breakfast. Macy grinned at me from behind her coffee cup, her long, blonde hair pulled into a braid that fell down her back.

"Where's your first class of the day?" She asked me. We never had classes together because we were in completely different programs, she was in nursing and I was in English, but our campus was relatively small, so we were often able to at least walk to class together.

"Wilson, yours?" I answered as I began to munch on my toast.

"Right next door, thank god." That would make it possible to have our traditional coffee break together right after our first class. "Ready when you are, Bells," she said as she set her cup in the sink and headed for the door.

We chatted about which classes we were excited for and which ones we were dreading as we drove to campus, and when it was time to go our separate ways about five minutes before class started I was in a much better mood than when I woke up. My mood didn't last very long, however, when I saw a head of blonde curls sitting about three rows from the front of the lecture hall. It couldn't be. I had to be imagining things, right? I slowly began to move toward the farthest seat away from the man when the air conditioning in the room kicked on. It was like déjà vu as I felt the light breeze tickle the hair around my neck and make its way down to him. Jasper. I knew it was him when I saw him stiffen at my scent and turn around so achingly slow it seemed like he was moving in slow made eye contact just as the professor stepped in front of the whiteboard and began to speak. I swallowed loudly and sat down in the nearest seat to me, promising myself I would pay attention to the lecture and deal with this situation after class.

It didn't work as I'd hoped and I found myself imagining what he would say to me, if anything at all, as soon as the clock hit 9:50 a.m. I was so busy imagining the different scenarios that I almost missed our professor dismissing us until class on Wednesday. I slowly gathered my things and put them into my backpack one by one, giving Jasper the opportunity to approach me if he wished. Of course, I was out of practice with being aware of someone so smooth and quiet and visibly jumped when I looked up to see him standing in front of my desk.

"Hello, Bella. It's good to see you," he spoke quietly, but I could easily hear his soothing, southern drawl as he addressed me.

"H-hi, Jasper." I stuttered as I stood up and swung my bag up onto my shoulder, "It's… good to see you too." I hesitated. Was it good to see him? The Cullens hurt me so much when they left. It wasn't just Edward, but all of them held an important place in my heart and they left me without much of an explanation. Of course, Jasper probably knew exactly what I was going through in that moment because of his ability to sense what I was feeling. I noted that he wasn't attempting to manipulate my emotions, which I heavily appreciated.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. Can I make it up to you by buying you a coffee? It would be nice to catch up." I nodded, speechless, and walked beside Jasper to the coffee shop a few buildings away from the one our class was held in. Macy was the last thing on my mind until I saw her sitting at one of the tables in the coffee shop, giving me an obnoxiously obvious wink when she saw me with what, to her, would probably be one of the most attractive people she had ever seen. This snapped me out of my daze as I looked up at the barista to order.

"Jasper you really don't need to buy that for me," I protested. "I'm a big girl with my own money." I'll admit, I was feeling a bit bitter that he felt the need to buy something for me after they walked out of my life, but what I said was not any less true because of it.

"Of course, I know that Bella. If you'd rather buy it yourself, I won't push it." He slipped his card back into his wallet and gave me a small smile. I was more than surprised at his answer given Edward's aversion to letting me do or buy anything on my own when we were together.

"Thank you," I replied as I took my coffee from the counter and made sure to sit far enough away from Macy that she couldn't hear our impending conversation. "So… what brings you to Oregon State? Are all of you playing college student this time around?" I tried to sound casual, but I knew I was failing as my heart rate picked up and my anxiety spiked waiting for his response.

Jasper sighed, "Actually, I am here alone. I haven't been in contact with the Cullens in the last year and a half." I was shocked by this news, which I'm sure showed on my face as I looked up from sipping on my iced caramel latte.

"Oh…I'm sorry, Jasper. If you want to talk about what happened I'm all ears." My mind was running a million miles an hour trying to decide if I thought that he left them, or they left him. I wanted to believe that he left them because the alternative could only mean that they were angry at him for what happened on my birthday which was pretty much anyone else's fault but his.

"There really isn't much to tell, if I'm being honest," he started. "I truly felt that my family had zero faith in my abilities to live the 'vegetarian' lifestyle, and I decided that if they thought I was going to mess up all the time, I probably had bigger chances of doing just that." He raised his hands in a motion that said, 'what can you do?' and shrugged his shoulders. I wanted to ask about Alice, as I remembered how in love they had seemed when I spent time with the family, but Jasper beat me to it before I could do so. "Alice was hiding something from me, though I'm not sure what, and when I voiced my concerns she all but encouraged me to go," he offered a small smile, "we were growing apart anyway, and I just knew it was time for me to leave." That's when he looked up and saw the anger and hurt in my eyes.

"They shouldn't have treated you that way, Jasper." I said, angry. I couldn't tell if I was angry for him, or if it was the feelings left over from feeling abandoned by the family, but I knew that Jasper could feel it and that I needed to get it under control.

"It's alright, Darlin', it hurt at first, but it was the right thing for me. Alice and I loved each other, but we weren't mates. I wouldn't be surprised if we became friends at some point in the future." I balked. I had no idea that Alice and Jasper weren't mates. Now that I was thinking about it, I didn't even know what it meant to be somebody's mate.

"Alright, well, what are your plans now?" I asked quickly before I could give myself a headache thinking about it.

"I'm going to be studying literature. I've studied a lot of things over the years, but I've never really touched the English side of things. Figured it was time to give it a shot." Jasper winked at me as he made his last statement. True to myself, my cheeks began to turn red as I suddenly became very interested in my drink. Jasper and I continued to make small talk until I noticed that I only had a few minutes to make it to my next class. Impulsively, I rattled off my phone number to Jasper and told him that we could finish catching up another time, knowing he'd remember it without needing to write it down. He left me with a genuine smile on my face as I nearly ran to my next class. I was amazed at how well I was taking having a run-in with a Cullen after what I went through the year after they left. I chalked it up to the fact that I was never very close with Jasper, but somehow I knew that it was more than that as I found myself wondering when I would be receiving a phone call from the southern vampire that had all but waltzed back into my life.


	3. Chapter 2

"Swan!" My head snapped up from my laptop as I heard Macy slam the front door. Shit. How could I have let myself forget that my best friend would have a thousand questions about what she saw in the coffee shop the second she got home from work?

"In here, Macy!" I shouted from my bedroom as I shut my laptop and set it on my dresser just in time for her to fly in and jump onto my bed next to me.

"Spill," was all she said as she folded her arms and set her not-so-patient eyes on me.

"Funny story, actually," I started. "I was just catching up with an old friend."

"An old, _hot_ friend!" Macy squealed. I rolled my eyes and laughed as she grabbed at my shoulder to give me a little shake, "There's no way you're not at least a little bit into him!"

"I don't think I could be into him even if I wanted to be Mace," I shrugged, "he's my ex-boyfriend's brother." I finished with a slight wince as her eyes popped with the new information.

"This is so juicy!" she giggled, "Are you going to see him again?"

"There's a possibility…" I braced myself for her reaction that I knew was to come from my next admission, "I gave him my phone number."/span/p

"Shut up!" I almost had to cover my ears as Macy rattled off all of her theories and predictions for what was to come. I just smiled at her and let her have her fun as I began to wonder when or if I would actually hear from Jasper again. Would we just ignore each other and awkwardly avoid contact during class? Would we become friends?

I didn't have to wonder for long when my phone gave off a short buzz. I yanked my phone off of its charger next to my bed and saw that an unknown number had sent me a message. Macy shook her head at me and slid off of my bed. "Keep me updated, Bella," she smirked, "I've been waiting for you to have a love interest for _ages_."

I rolled my eyes as she walked out of my room. She's going to have to get used to disappointment if she thought this was going in that direction. However, when I opened my texts to find that Jasper had messaged asking to meet up after classes tomorrow, my cheeks turned pink and I had a dumb smile on my face that would have absolutely suggested otherwise.

* * *

My leg was shaking uncontrollably through the entirety of my last class the next day. I couldn't pay attention to a single word the professor said. Instead, I imagined all of the ways I would probably make myself look like an idiot when Jasper met me outside of the building at 5:00 p.m. Why was I concerning myself so much over this? It's not like this was supposed to be a date. I knew I was being ridiculous and was trying to talk myself out of being nervous when I noticed everyone around me gathering their books and chatting with their friends as they left the classroom. I slowly stood up and followed the rest of my classmates out of the building and looked around for a pale face and curly, blonde hair.

"Bella," I jumped as Jasper made an appearance directly behind me. "Sorry to startle you again," he smirked.

"No worries, it happens a lot." I laughed as we began to walk toward the parking lot. "Where are we going?"

"I figured you would probably be hungry," he began. "I bought some food for my house, so I thought we could go there… If you're comfortable, that is." Jasper seemed hesitant toward the end of his explanation, and I wondered if it was because he was nervous too. I brushed off the rogue thought and nodded my head.

"Yeah, Jasper, that sounds great." I smiled as we approached a sleek, black jeep. It reminded me of Emmett's car and how it felt to ride in it on our way to the first and only baseball game I ever witnessed of the Cullens. By the time I climbed in and put my seatbelt on, we were already heading toward the road leading away from campus.

* * *

The night was full of unnecessary apologies from both Jasper and I as we talked about the last three years and what we had been through. What I noticed most, though, was that he actually listened when I was telling him about my situation even though he could already feel my emotions about the events himself. Looking back on being with Edward was a rarity because it still stung, but I didn't have to think too hard to remember being frustrated that he thought he knew everything about me and what I needed without me having to say a single word.

I didn't know what to think about myself getting nervous and blushing around Jasper or the fact that the sound of his voice made my heart race a little bit faster. All I knew was that I had enjoyed being with him, and I wanted to do it again. I laid in bed when I got home, wide awake, trying to figure out how to do just that when I remembered that we would be in class together the next morning. I decided that that was when I would ask him to hang out again. I shook my head, but nothing could clear the thought that wouldn't leave my mind. I liked Jasper, and not in a brother way or a friend way like I should. I wanted more, and I'd be damned if I didn't try to make it happen.


	4. Chapter 3

I was feeling restless after my trip down memory lane. I propped myself up on one elbow to look at Jasper as he turned his head away from the book with a curious look on his face.

"Let's go for a run." I smiled, knowing it was one of his favorite things to do no matter what time of day it was. He responded by leaning forward to give me a quick kiss and jumped out of bed, offering his hand.

We ran through the trees, almost silently, until we reached a pine tree that was much larger than the rest. Climbing quickly through the branches, we settled as close to the top as possible. Being a vampire, temperature was never really a focal point when being outside, but something about the night's air was perfect as we looked out across the Boise forest.

"Jas," I started quietly, "When did you first know that you wanted to be with me?" Jasper squeezed my hand lightly and angled his body to put us face-to-face.

"Honestly, I felt something different with you the first time I saw you in class," he ran his thumb over my hand, "but I didn't know how to identify it at first. However, I did know the exact moment when you began to feel differently towards me, naturally." Jasper grinned, knowing my face would be a hundred shades of red had I had the ability to blush.

"Oh, stop it!" I giggled as I bumped my shoulder into his. "How do I know that you didn't just feel bad and give me a pity date?" I teased.

Jasper let out a playful growl and pushed me lightly until I was laying with my back flat on the tree branch. He kissed my shoulder, my neck, and then my lips as he let his hands wander down my sides. "Even I'm not _that_ good of an actor. I love you so much, Bella."

What started as light teasing turned into a night of showing just how much we loved each other. We raced back to our house, laughing every step of the way and, occasionally, taking a break to sneak in a kiss.

* * *

The next morning while I was looking through way too many work emails for it only being a Monday, Jasper's phone buzzed, pulling me out of what he calls my "architect-mode," which mean that almost anything else can and will wait until I'm finished. I nearly went right back to work until I heard Jasper's voice adopt a worried tone as he rushed into the room. He appeared right behind me, putting one hand on my shoulder as I began to listen to what the caller was saying.

" _Jasper, I know how long it's been, but we are in trouble. I'm very concerned that this could come to a fight and your expertise could really help us, not to mention having another vampire there to help us witness._ " The unknown voice was pleading.

"I want to help you, and I'm sorry that you've been put in this situation. I'm unsure that me coming is the right choice, though. You've already called Carlisle, I presume?" Jasper responded, gripping the hand that I offered up to him at hearing his former father's name.

" _Yes, I have, and they are coming._ " The caller paused, " _Jasper they miss you. They have expressed that they feel horribly if they made you feel like you had to leave. Even Garrett-_ " the voice stopped, leaving silence in its place that spoke volumes.

"What do you mean, Garrett?" Jasper asked, knowing where it was going, but wanting confirmation before making assumptions.

The caller sighed, " _Garrett has been with the Cullens for some time now… with Alice_." The hesitation in their voice indicated how nervous they were to give away this piece of information. I supposed I would have been nervous too if I didn't know that Jasper had found his mate and was living happily for the past fifty years.

I turned to make eye contact with my husband, both of us showing relief as we learned that the one person that could have been hurt most by our happiness had some of her own.

"It's okay, Carmen." Jasper smiled, "I have found my mate, too." Even without Jasper's power, I could sense his happiness at finally telling someone important from his past about us, even if it wasn't the whole story.

" _Oh, Jasper_!" she gushed, " _I am so thrilled to hear this. You should absolutely bring her, if you would like._ "

"I will bring her, and we will come as soon as we can." Jas responded after I gave him a slight nod, indicating my approval of making the trip to help his cousins. I was incredibly nervous, of course. How do you prepare to face your ex-boyfriend and his family, after marrying his brother? Not to mention that they surely think I'm over seventy years old by now.

" _Thank you, thank you so much!_ " Carmen's excitement could have been contagious if we weren't signing up to go potentially fight a bunch of other vampires. Jasper finished the conversation and took my hand, leading me to the couch. We plopped down and breathed like we had just run a marathon. What did we just agree to?

"We can do this, right?" I looked over at Jasper, desperate for some reassurance that this wasn't going to blow up in our faces.

"We can do anything, as long as we are together." It was such a simple statement, but it rang with the truth it possessed. I have never felt stronger or more confident than when I am with my mate. I took my turn to comfort him and kissed his cheek. Eventually, we got up and began to make plans. I had meetings to reschedule and Jasper had projects to manage, but as long as we were together in this, everything would work out okay. It had to.


	5. Chapter 4

I was scared. There was no other way to put it. Scared is not an emotion that a vampire feels often, so the emotion was foreign to me as I began to pack what little I would need to make the trip to Alaska. We hadn't discussed it yet, but I was beginning to think that we should leave a day early and run the whole way. It would give us less time to worry during a quiet car ride, not to mention that it was something we both loved to do anyway.

I sighed, deciding to give up on getting ready for the time being because I was almost becoming too anxious to function. I opened up my laptop to check my email, even though I had already checked it four times throughout the day and paused. My background hadn't changed since I was in college. Every time I bought a new computer or cell phone, setting my background was one of the first tasks I completed. It was a beautiful photo of Jasper and I standing at the beach just after sunset. We spent many of our days inside during that trip, but the nights spent there were incredible.

* * *

Jasper and I had just left our hotel in San Diego. He surprised me with plane tickets for this weekend, claiming that because I was a senior and it was going to be a relatively cloudy weekend, he couldn't resist giving me a spring break gift. There was enough cloud coverage that the light left from the sunset didn't give Jas anything but a subtle glow as we made our way toward the beach. He was indulging me with a few selfies that I had begged him to take when a kind woman offered to take our picture. It was immediately my favorite photo I'd ever seen. Jasper had playfully picked me up in a piggy back ride as I leaned down to kiss his cheek, my long hair almost covering my face.

That night I had been incredibly nervous because we had been together for almost three years and I wanted to ask him about changing me. I knew I would be heartbroken if he gave the same answer as Edward had, wanting me to stay human and becoming older and older until it looked like I was spending time with my grandson. On the other hand, I had decided it was worth the risk because I wanted to spend forever with him. One lifetime wasn't enough.

By the time I had worked up the courage to say something, we were at a lovely dinner that overlooked the water as I ate and he pretended to eat. My voice was shaking, and my hands were fidgeting as I rambled out thought after thought on the matter until Jasper leaned in and silenced me with a careful kiss on my lips. He actually got out of his seat and I began to panic, sure that he was going to lead me out so that I didn't make a scene when he rejected my request, when he kneeled down in front of me.

"I was going to wait until after dinner, because I didn't think you would love the idea of an audience, but I don't believe the timing could get better than this." Jasper started, and the tears that had welled up in my eyes from my panic moments before began to spill out as pure happiness took its place. He began to detail all of the reasons he loved me as I gripped onto his hands so tightly that I know a human man would be cringing at this point. Everything disappeared as he ended with, "I love you more than I can put into words and I would love nothing more than to spend forever with you. And I mean forever." He winked as I blubbered out something that was surely embarrassing but meant 'hell yes!' all the same. I vaguely remember hearing light applause and congratulations, but all I could focus on was Jasper and the fact that very soon I would not only be a married woman, but also a vampire. For the first time since my eighteenth birthday weekend, I was grateful that I had met Edward Cullen. Without him, I would have never gotten to this point, and that's something I could not even begin to imagine.

* * *

I realized I was sitting in front of my laptop, grinning like an idiot when I heard Jasper enter the room. I jumped up from my seat and threw myself at him, knowing he would catch me without a question. He smiled as I wrapped my arms and legs around him and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"I love you," I said as I put my hands on either side of his face, looking into the eyes that made me weak in the knees no matter how often I saw them.

He answered by giving me slow, lingering kisses as he carried me up the stairs toward our room. For the millionth time in my life, I was reassured that this man was my soulmate. No matter what we faced, we would always be the constant for each other. My only worry in life, even though we were facing the Cullens and an insane group of royal vampires in less than a week, was losing Jasper. All I could do was hold on tight and hope that whatever this turned out to be didn't even bring us close to that fate.


	6. Chapter 5

For the first time since my change, I wished that I needed to shower and change clothes more often. The packing was going much too fast, meaning that we would be able to leave sooner. We really only needed one extra outfit for each of us, so we weren't taking anything but a small backpack. I was just zipping it up when Jasper came into our room and put his hands on my hips, standing behind me.

"What do you think, Darlin'?" he kissed the side of my neck. "Are we almost ready to go?"

I took an unnecessary breath, "Yeah, I think we are." I gave a shaky laugh as I felt Jasper's calm wash over me, thankful that he knew what I needed without having to say.

He threw the backpack onto his shoulder and turned me so that we were face-to-face. I felt his thumb stroking my cheek as he leaned in to press a kiss to my forehead before walking down the stairs. I followed him, giving myself a mental pep talk the whole way down.

I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but I knew one thing for sure. I wanted this to be a happy moment for Jasper. Even though he chose to leave his family with good reason, I knew he missed them terribly. I missed them, too.

We walked out of the front door together, heading north. "Jasper," I started curiously. "You said that the Volturi is after the Denalis. What provoked them?"

"Really, it doesn't take much to provoke them. Even an inconvenience can cause them to take life." Jasper ran a hand through his curls, "That's exactly what happened to the Denalis. Irina, one of the sisters, reported a crime based on a misunderstanding. The Volturi leaders feel as though they wasted their time checking it out and now want Irina to pay for it." He glanced over at me, sensing my confusion.

"And the rest of them are guilty because they are trying to hide her, right?" Jasper nodded. "How will it help to have 'witnesses'?"

"I believe they want us to vouch that Irina is honest and that it was a genuine mistake." He reasoned. "That she was trying to help them."

That stopped me in my tracks. "I won't be much help at all, then, will I?"

Jasper put his arm around me, urging me to continue walking. "That's not exactly true," he started, "I have taught you a lot about fighting in our spare time." He grinned, and I knew he was thinking about how some of our fighting lessons ended in not-so-productive ways. "You will be very helpful when we are giving everyone a crash course on how to fight experienced vampires."

I held onto him a little tighter, "Do you think this will end in a fight?"

He contemplated for a moment before answering. "I hope not. But, if it does, there will be more of us than they are expecting. I was even thinking of asking Zenna and Safrina to come up if we need some extra help."

"That's a good idea, Jas." I smiled at him, promising myself to try and keep my emotions in check no matter how much I wanted to curl into a ball and roll all the way home.

Eventually, we picked up the pace of our trip and ran through the woods, only slowing down when we neared a place that might have humans in the area. It made me think of the first time Jasper took me hunting after I was changed.

* * *

"Okay, Bella, there should be a lot of wildlife in this area-" Jasper's voice broke off abruptly and I spun to face him, concerned. "We need to get out of here."

Then, I smelled it. A human. I knew instantly what the indescribable scent was as my senses ran ahead of me and I began attempting to detect where it was coming from so that I could run straight toward it. I was broken out of my trance by my husband's gentle grip on my shoulder. Immediately, I was concerned for Jasper, as he had told me how hard it was to feel the bloodlust of others. I quickly grabbed onto his hand and searched his eyes, making sure he was alright. I saw many things there. Awe, pride, amusement, happiness, and love.

"Honestly, sugar, one second of concern for me pulls you out of a newborn blood craze?" He shook his head as he pulled me to his chest. "I don't deserve you."

I smiled up at him for a moment, and then took off running in the opposite direction of the delicious scent. I wanted to hunt before that happened again.

* * *

We ran for hours, feeding once, until we crossed into Alaska. Never having been there, I tried to enjoy the scenery as we got closer to our destination. I knew we were nearly there when Jasper slowed down and took my hand, bringing it up to his lips. I began to hear noises of the gathering that was waiting for us; voices, laughter, loud crashes that I attributed to the sparring that Jasper had mentioned would take up much of our time. The trees began to thin out as we approached a house not unlike the Cullen's, and saw many more vampires than I had ever seen in one place. The first thing that drew my attention was Emmett, who was dodging another vampire's attacks as others, including the rest of the Cullens, watched. It was that moment that Esme turned her head and locked her eyes onto Jasper. I watched her eyes go wide and her jaw drop open as she took a hesitant step toward us.

"Jasper!" She began to run as every other pair of red and gold eyes turned toward us.


	7. Chapter 6

Jasper dropped my hand, catching Esme as she flew at him. She buried her head into his shoulder, rambling about how much she missed him and how sorry she was that he had left in the first place. He rubbed her back, reassuring her while she began to relax.

I was in the perfect spot to be hidden from the rest of the crowd, just behind the touching scene of mother and son reuniting for the first time in fifty years. However, that meant that I had about a half a minute more to freak out, which was way more than enough. My hands were shaking as I watched Esme slowly lift her head from Jasper's shoulder as he set her down on the ground. She pulled herself together, straightening her shirt and her hair just before peaking around Jas, intending to introduce herself for the first time to the mate that everyone had heard about courtesy of Carmen.

It was almost as if the last minute of my life was on repeat as Esme took in what she was seeing, eyes widening, jaw dropping. This time, though, she didn't move so quickly. She took small tentative steps toward me, reaching her hand out only a few feet from where I felt glued to the ground. I heard a door slam somewhere in the house, but paid it no mind as I placed my hand in hers.

"Bella!" Esme breathed. She pulled me in for a hug that was more motherly than any I had received from Renee during my human life. Her hand went to the back of my head, stroking my hair that just barely reached my shoulders, as I had cut it before my change. I felt like crying, and I knew that I was only holding it together with the help of my husband as I hugged her back fiercely.

I heard footsteps coming quickly toward us as I pulled away from Esme. I hardly had time to look up before I was completely engulfed in another hug, a deep, contagious laugh rattling my whole body as Emmett spun me around. "No way in hell!" he set me down, holding onto my shoulders as though he thought it was still likely for me to get dizzy and tip over. He pulled me in for another quick hug before releasing me and moving on to Jasper.

I heard the questioning start as Jasper tried to calm down an overly hyped-up Emmett by feeding him generic answers when a hand came down lightly on my shoulder. "I can't begin to explain how happy I am to see you, Bella." Carlisle gave me a light hug. "I would have never expected you to come back into our lives this way, but I am grateful all the same."

I breathed a massive sigh of relief. I was petrified that I was going to be rejected by the people who I once called family. At first, after Edward left, I had been angry with them, but after Jasper explained what had truly happened, I forgave them almost instantly. They are a loyal family, which is one of the things I love so much about them. That reminded me… Edward.

Surprisingly, my nervousness was never focused on seeing Edward. Of course, I knew that it might be stressful, but I hadn't honestly thought about what it would be like to see him again. I looked up from our reunion to see Rosalie standing near the porch with two other beautiful blonde vampires, looking completely passive about the whole situation, but Edward was nowhere to be seen. And, I noticed, neither was Alice.

I made eye contact with Jasper, noticing how he almost glowed even though the sun was settled deep behind the clouds. I moved toward him, slipping my hand into his as the Cullens continued to take in every word he said with such an interest you'd think he had just announced a trip to Jupiter.

A woman with deep brown hair and a bright smile approached our group, giving Jasper a hug. "I'm so happy you're here, Jasper." She touched his cheek, and I could tell by her motherly actions that it had to be Carmen. "Please, come introduce your mate to the rest of the group."

We all followed her toward the group, Jasper and I at the front. Heads turned our way expectantly, and Jas gave a little laugh as he took the spotlight.

"I am Jasper, for those of you who don't know, and this is my wife," he smiled and squeezed my hand, "Bella Whitlock."

I have been Isabella Marie Swan Whitlock for half of a century, but hearing Jasper introduce me as such to his closest friends and family sent butterflies off in my stomach that I didn't even know I could still feel. I felt a wave of love pass over me as my mate felt my pride and happiness about simply having his last name. Our little bubble popped as a male vampire began to turn the group's attention back to training.

"Where are Edward and Alice?" Jasper finally asked the question that I had been building up the courage to ask myself.

Esme looked at Carlisle, a silent conversation happening between the two, "Alice and Peter left a few days ago to gather some more allies. Edward is here, somewhere." Esme nodded her head toward the house.

I leaned up to kiss Jasper's cheek as I turned toward the door of the Denali home. I looked over my shoulder to make eye contact with my husband one more time, a silent encouragement, and barely caught Rosalie pulling away from his embrace. I was relieved that she wasn't angry with him, knowing that they had been close when he was still with the family.

I dragged my hand up the railing as I made my way up the stairs at a human pace. I knew that delaying this meeting would not make it any better, but I slowed down every movement all the same. I followed Edward's sweet scent to the last room on the third floor. I was fully aware that he had to know it was me outside the door, yet I still knocked lightly. "Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"


	8. Chapter 7

I took a deep, unnecessary breath as I let my hand rest on the door handle. "May I come in?"

There was no response for a moment, but then I felt the handle turn and the door swung open, Edward standing with a blank face on the other side. He gestured behind him and moved so that I could enter the room, closing the door again behind me.

I leaned against the window sill, watching him as he sat down on a couch occupying the space on the other side of the room from where I was standing. Silence filled the space as I wondered how to begin the conversation that we both needed to happen. I cleared my throat, mentally rolling my eyes as I resorted to another human habit in my nervousness. "I'm sure this is a shock to you."

Edward let out a small, harsh laugh, "A little more than a shock, Bella. I left you fifty years ago thinking that you would be able to live out a safe, human life. You are supposed to be seventy years old somewhere with grandkids, but instead you're standing in front of me as vampire, which is the last thing I wanted to happen."

I had assumed that this would be the first thing out of Edward's mouth, so I let him finish as I pictured steam coming from his ears to accompany his angry tone. "Edward, you need to understand something. I know you left me because you thought it was for my own good, Jasper told me that much." I watched him shake his head at the mention of my husband, "That was your decision. You chose to do it without considering what I actually wanted. That is not my fault, nor is it Jasper's. It is only yours."

I could almost see Edward trying to work out what I was saying as he calculated a response. He ran a hand over his face, "You didn't know what you were asking for."

I sighed, "You should have told me what you thought I was asking for, then, if you didn't think I would want it." I shook my head, "It doesn't matter now, all you need to know is that I am happy. If that is what you wanted, then you achieved it." I moved closer to him, sitting on one of the chairs across from his couch. "I don't think it is possible for me to stop caring about you, Edward. I want you to be happy, too."

"I feel the same way, always." Edward made real eye-contact with me for the first time since I walked into the room. "You have to imagine, though, how strange it is that you're not only here and a vampire, but with my brother."

I saw him cover a smirk as I let out a small laugh, "Yes, I'm sure it is strange. I am more than happy to share the story with all of you, but after this situation blows over. I think we need to be focused, for Irina."/

"Yes, I agree." Edward ran a hand through his hair, "It will be hard for a while, but I hope we can stay in touch, as friends."

I reached my hand out to touch his knee and nodded, "Friends."

* * *

I found Jasper talking with a vampire that had brown hair that hung down in his face, nearly covering his red eyes. I touched his arm lightly as I approached the pair, and my husband immediately turned to put his arm around me. I could see in his face that he was searching my emotions to find out how my confrontation with Edward went. When he was satisfied that I was okay, he introduced me. "Garrett, this is my wife, Bella.

Garrett reached out his hand and I took it, smiling at him. "Nice to meet you, Garrett."

"Likewise. Jasper tells me that you also have some training in fighting, is that right?" He looked interested, and assuming he wasn't just making small-talk, I launched into Jasper's training and what I was capable of. We quickly decided what I would be in charge of for training the rest of the group as Jasper stepped away to take a phone call.

When he stuck his phone back into his pocket, I excused myself from Garrett and made my way to Jasper, curious what the call was regarding. When I reached him, he pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head, sending pride and love through me. "I take it the conversation didn't go terribly?"

I shook my head, "No, it was alright. I think we both need time to process, but he was shockingly rational for being Edward."

Jasper smiled at my joke and led us to the porch, sitting down on the steps and pulling me into his lap. "I just spoke to Zenna. She said that they will be here in the next few days."

I felt a huge wave of relief. Zenna and Safrina were both gifted and would be extremely helpful if this came to a fight. "Wait a minute, how did you speak to her? Are you telling me she owns a cell phone?" I giggled.

Jasper laughed with me, "No she called me from a payphone somewhere. She said that a small vampire passed through and let her know I would be attempting to get in touch with her. I'm assuming it was Alice." His eyebrows pulled together as he began trying to work out what she was doing. I kissed his forehead in comfort, and stood up, taking his hand to pull him with me.

"It is time to start training, love." We walked together to the group that had gathered, ready to start practicing for what could reasonably mean the end to all of our lives.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N Sorry for the super short chapter! I just really liked the idea of ending it here. I'll update soon! Thanks for reading.**

* * *

"Alright, let's get started." Jasper clapped his hands together, looking around at the large group of vampires that were gathered in a circle around him.

"I want to see Bella fight someone!" Emmett was already laughing at what I assumed to be a mental image of me tripping during a fight. I smirked, knowing that I was about to give him the shock of his life if that was what he was expecting. Jasper and I had spent many years with just the two of us, meaning that we had plenty of time to teach each other everything we knew. I was lacking the real experience of fighting someone who was actually trying to kill me, but I knew I was good nonetheless.

"Okay, Emmet," I watched my husband attempt to keep a straight face, "why don't you step up?"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Emmett boomed, eyes wide. "I'll crush her!"

"Oh, give her a chance." Jasper winked at me. "It'll be… funny."

Emmett pretended to crack his knuckles as he stepped into the circle, "Alright, little sister, let's see what you've got. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

I stepped forward, standing in front of my opponent with a smile on my face. I should have been nervous that he was nearly three times my size, but I had a good feeling about this one. Both of us dropped down into a crouch, contemplating how the first few moves would turn out. I decided to act first and lunged to the left, calculating how quick Emmett's reflexes were. When I was satisfied that he would, indeed, underestimate me, I faked an attack to the right and then quickly spun to the left, grabbing Emmett's arm and yanking it up behind him.

"Expect them to change things up, Emmett, you're letting your guard down." Jasper chuckled. He shook me off and spun around, attempting to grab me. I ducked just in time, grabbing one of his legs and pulling it out from under him. His back hit the ground, hard, and I saw the frustration and surprise flash in his eyes. I leapt over the strongest Cullen as he sat up, landing directly behind him with my hands in the perfect position on his neck to rip his head off if I was truly trying to kill him.

I ran my hand over Emmett's short hair as I stood up, making my way back to Jasper's side as several other vampires clapped and laughed at the look on his face. Eventually, he stood up as well and shook his head as he let Rosalie kiss him and boost his ego.

"As you can see, practicing like this can help you prepare for the unexpected." Laughter passed through the crowd again as Jasper smiled at his brother, who managed to flip him off before receiving a warning look from Esme. "Who's next?"

Everyone paired up and began practicing different techniques as Jasper and I observed, giving feedback and encouragement where it was needed. I was in the middle of coaching Esme and Rosalie, who was surprisingly cordial, when I noticed that nearly everyone had gone quiet. I turned around to see my husband and my ex-boyfriend crouched in a defensive position, facing each other. I should have seen it coming, but that didn't stop me from being shocked that they chose to spar. I knew it was only a matter of time before the fake attacks became a little too real, so I got closer to the pair in case I needed to step in.

"Edward, I encourage you to use your gift during practice so that you can use it in a real battle." I heard Jasper say as he dodged a lunge from Edward. "But that means that I will be practicing with mine as well."

Edward shook his head as if he was trying to clear his thoughts and shoved Jasper to one side as he tried to grab him around the torso. "That's fair."

The two continued to dance around each other and come close to landing a punch or knocking the other off balance as we watched. Suddenly Edward launched himself toward Jasper, who likely manipulated his anger to make a rash decision, and flew behind him as he ducked to avoid the attack. Jasper straightened up and was watching for Edward's next move when a vampire dropped from the trees above him, wrapping their arms around his neck in what could lead to a lethal move. It was only when the little vampire kissed his cheek and jumped off of his back facing the crowd that I understood what had just transpired.

Alice.


	10. Chapter 9

I hardly had time to register her spikey hair and sly smile before she had her arms wrapped around me. I was shocked, to say the least. I expected a lot of things about this trip, but Alice throwing her arms around me like she had just seen me last week was not one of them. I mean, I was married to her ex-husband for crow's sake! "Alice…" I trailed off.

"Bella. It is so good to see you. You're just beautiful! I knew you would be." Alice winked, sauntering off. Of course she knew. I wondered briefly how long she had known about Jasper and I, but didn't have much time before Jasper appeared at my side, a shaggy-haired vampire trailing behind him.

"Sugar, this is Peter. He's a very good friend of mine." I stuck my hand out to shake Peter's, having heard plenty of stories about their life before Jasper joined the Cullens.

"It is nice to meet you, Peter. I have heard so much about you. Bad things only." I giggled, knowing that his sense of humor was bound to be similar to my mate's.

As it seemed, I was right. Peter let out a loud chuckle and knocked Jasper with his shoulder, causing him to shove his best friend back. I smiled at their roughhousing and glanced around, catching an image that set me at ease so much that I almost thought Jasper was helping out. Alice had her tiny hand placed on Garrett's cheek, staring at him with so much love and affection that I had to look away to keep from intruding. I knew then that everything would be okay, but I also knew that I needed to get her alone as soon as possible to get some solid answers.

The day dragged on, vegetarian and traditional vampires mingling and practicing as we waited for any kind of clue as to what we would be dealing with and when. I had struck up a conversation with a kind, heart shape-faced vampire named Maggie when I felt a hand on my elbow. I knew who it was without needing to look, and politely excused myself to follow Alice out the back door of the Denali home. We ran together until Alice stopped at a large pine tree, leaning against it.

"I feel like there is so much to say, but we don't have much time before Jasper comes to look for us." She smiled, her gaze locking onto mine as if she was trying to pull some kind of information out of my gold irises. "Bella, I want you to know that I am not angry with either of you. In fact, I could think of no one better for my first love or my best friend than the other." Her small hand reached out to me. I took it and settled by her side.

"I really don't think I deserve you, Alice." I let my head rest on her shoulder. "However, I do want an explanation as to why you had to leave me, too. I can't even begin to explain the hurt I felt for so many years." I was never angry with Alice. The hurt I felt ran deep, but I always told myself not to bet against her. I knew that if she could stay friends with me and have a good outcome, she would.

"In due time, I would love to explain it to you, but I'm afraid that will have to happen after the confrontation with the Volturi. I'm truly sorry that you were hurting for so long, and I hope to make it up to you by being the best friend I can be now." She said firmly.

I quickly turned to stare at her, "Does that mean that we are going to survive this? Have you seen it?" I asked, desperately.

"I have seen you and Jasper spending time with all of us at our house in Maine, which has not happened yet, so I do hope that it means we will all come out of this alive." This reassured me more than it probably should have.

"When did you have this vision? Was it while you were away with Peter? Why were you away with Peter anyway?" I spat out the questions, hyper-aware of the short amount of time Alice and I had.

A twinkling giggle came from her as she rested her hand on my arm, "Slow down, Bella. Yes, it was while we were away. Peter has a similar gift to me, so the two of us left to go contact some other vampires while you two made your entrance. I didn't want Edward leaving before you had your chance to speak with him." She looked at me meaningfully, "You both needed it."

I nodded, understanding. "Zenna and Safrina. Thank you, Alice." At that moment, Jasper appeared, taking in our position. His smile reflected relief, joy, and satisfaction at seeing the two of us acting as if nothing had changed.

I pulled Alice in for a hug, and then moved to Jasper, leaving a small kiss on his cheek. I took off toward the house, knowing the two of them deserved a moment alone just as I had been granted with Edward. When I walked into the house, I found Esme, Carlisle, Edward, and Carmen sitting in the living room talking about what would most likely transpire when the Volturi arrived. I sat down next to Edward on one of the couches, eager to hear what everyone was thinking. When I was immediately welcomed into the discussion, Edward not seeming to mind my proximity in the slightest, I knew that fate had a hand in bringing Jasper and I here. I had found my family again, and there was not a doubt in my mind that we would not be separated for a long time to come.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: This story is almost at its end! This is the last chapter, but I will be posting an** **epilogue. Thank you for reading and double thank you for reviewing! This was my first story and it encouraged me to finish it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little bit longer than the rest. (:**

* * *

Alice had a vision that very next day about the Volturi's arrival. We were all eager for her to see something, but none of us imagined that we would be meeting them mere hours from that moment. We walked through the thick forest, no one making a sound. Jasper was fidgety, no doubt from feeling the nerves of the twenty-eight other vampires around him. Our original number was thirty-one, but we thought it best that Irina stay back with protection of Vladmir and Stefan, who were always a little too ready for a fight. Senna and Zafrina had arrive that morning, too, giving us a little bit more of an advantage.

We did not have to wait long after we made it to the clearing in which Alice saw our meeting. Within minutes dark, graceful figures glided out of the trees on the other side, stopping just near enough to us that we could make out the facial features of our opponents. I recognized the leaders immediately, not only from their position, but from the stories I had heard over the years from different vampires who had met them. I reached out to hold Jasper's hand as I waited for someone to make a move from either side. Aro was clearly intending to conduct the meeting, as he had stepped slightly forward from the rest, with a guard flanking each side, of course.

"My friends, what a large gathering you have here. I am trying to believe that you are not looking for a fight, but I'm afraid I'm having a difficult time coming to that conclusion." Aro looked back and forth across our group. We were counting on the Volturi being surprised at our numbers. This was good.

"Aro, with respect, I understand what this must look like," Eleazar started, representing our side, "However, what you see is only a gathering of vampires that believe our Irina would never attempt to trick you or waste your time." I risked a glance up at Jasper, desperately wanting to know how Aro was feeling. What I saw was unexpected as my mate wore an expression of confusion and hope combined. Generally, he was very good at masking his own emotions.

"Ah, yes." Aro nodded, "Where is your dear Irina, Eleazar?" I could almost feel every single one of us stiffen at his question. He had to know how unlikely it was that we would tell him the truth.

"You must understand that we did not feel as though it would be her best decision to be here with us today. She has left for a short while as we come to a conclusion on this situation." Eleazar lied easily, making me wonder if he had practiced what he would say to the leaders of the Vampire world.

"I see your logic; however, I would have loved to speak with her. That is, of course, the only reason we came here today all the way from Italy." Aro smirked, turning to his court, "It seems we may have wasted our time once again dear ones." This statement was followed by small, irritated growls and hisses.

"You seem to have brought quite the following for simply a visit with Irina." I was surprised to hear Carlisle speak up like this, assuming that he would remain calm and quiet throughout the ordeal if possible.

"Yes, Carlisle, I suppose you would know that this is not normal procedure." Aro chuckled, "You must also know, then, that we do not take liars lightly. Especially when it causes us to move from the safety of Volterra for nothing of importance." His expression slid into dangerously dark territory.

It was Kate, then, that addressed the mass of black cloaks, "And what if it had been of importance? Would you have rather she ignored it and moved on if it truly were an immortal child? These people are here to show you that she is not one to embellish or lie, like you accuse."

"The vampire in question is old enough to control herself!" Caius snapped, taking a step forward to stand next to Aro, "Brother, we cannot let them get away with this. It took us a week to take the journey." I was reminded of a child throwing a fit with the way Caius was acting, and had a difficult time keeping my smile under control. Jasper must have felt it because he gave my hand a small squeeze.

Aro laid a hand on his brother's arm before speaking, "Yes, I am aware, Caius. However, we cannot go picking fights either. It would show a lack of control within ourselves which is not what we stand for, is it?" I was nervous to let myself feel relief at Aro's words, but the tension began to vacate my body all the same. "Eleazar, since your Irina is not in attendance, we would have you pass on a message to her, if you will."

Eleazar nodded quickly, "Of course."

"We do not give second chances, much less third." Aro wore a scowl on his pale, papery face, "She would do well to watch herself carefully from here on out."

"That is understood, Aro, thank you." Eleazar almost bowed at the leader, as he was much too far away for a handshake, which was exactly as we preferred it.

Without another word, the Volturi began to retreat, the guard closing in around the leaders and the wives. We waited until they were completely out of sight to begin our walk back to the Denali home. Similar to the walk we took earlier that day, everyone was completely silent. However, missing was the anxious feeling that coursed through the group with each step that we took. Instead, it was replaced by relief and happiness as we waited to tell Irina the good news.

As we approached the house, all of the vampires around us allowed themselves to smile and catch each other in a quick embrace or handshake as Irina flew out of the front door into her family's waiting arms. I heard her sob in relief as Carmen smoothed her hair and her sisters relayed what happened during the confrontation. I smiled and pulled my husband toward me, kissing him full on the lips for the first time in front of his whole family as a wave of gratitude that I did not come close to losing him took over my feelings. As I pulled back from him, a grin present on both of our faces, I noticed Edward holding one of Zafrina's hands between both of his own, speaking quickly and passionately as she laughed, placing her free hand on his shoulder. Others seemed to notice this interaction at the same time I did, and the slight roar of voices died down as we gained interest in what was being said.

"I'm completely serious, Zafrina, that was incredible! I don't think we ever would have come up with something like that, let alone figure out how to do it, and you did it all alone!" Edward's eyes were wide, waiting for her response.

"Well I couldn't go telling everyone, could I?" Her full laugh matched perfectly with her lovely accent. "What if Aro decided to touch one of you?" At this point Edward noticed the rest of us staring at the two of them and decided to clue us in.

"For those of you who don't know, Zafrina has the power to make others see whatever they want. Like an illusion or a hallucination." I looked around to see some vampires nodding in appreciation and others smiling, like Jasper and I, because they already knew. "During the meeting with the Volturi, she had the _entire guard_ seeing double the vampires than what we actually had on our side!" Gasps and cheers immediately irrupted from the group as we all realized that Zafrina probably just saved all of our lives.

I notice that my hand had covered my mouth at some point during Edward's announcement. I let it fall back to my side as I noticed Irina sobbing again, pulling Zafrina in for a fierce hug. I leaned heavily against Jasper, feeling oddly exhausted as the build up from the past week caught up to me. I felt a kiss on my forehead as Jasper pulled us into the tree line, beginning to run as the group faded behind us. "We need to hunt, darlin', and then I'm finding some place for us to have some peace and quiet… alone."

I didn't need Jasper's gift to know what he was feeling in that moment. I was craving him, too, after a solid six days of having people around all the time when we had fifty years of just being together. Even though I was just as ready as Jasper was to be alone, I wouldn't change a single bit of what had transpired since that phone call.


End file.
